full frame madness

rouge balloon

2011-11-26T13:38:00.002-06:00

After Nebraska's first score in yesterday's game, red balloons were released over the stadium.

frosty

2011-11-20T16:54:00.001-06:00

Winter is almost here, and I turned my lens on my car's roof one particularly chilly morning recently..

...and then the sculpture garden

2011-11-03T17:39:00.003-05:00

Walker Art Center

2011-11-03T15:38:00.006-05:00

While in Minneapolis covering Iowa football, I took an extra day to sleep in, eat delicious brunch and explore the Walker Art Center. Let's start with the museum...

Pixel painting

2011-10-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

On an afternoon walk today, I took a slightly different approach to photographing fall color.

Bored in the fourth quarter

2011-09-04T12:22:00.003-05:00

So, it rained yesterday. A lot. (I'll post real game photos soon-ish, but this is all you get for now.)

Aftermath

2011-09-04T12:20:00.003-05:00

While climbing the stadium steps for a different view, I found the aftermath of the evacuated and now nearly-empty stadium..

Straw Poll / Bachmann

2011-08-24T16:16:00.006-05:00

This recent story on NYT reminded me that I never posted my photos from the Iowa Straw Poll. While I covered every candidate I could find, I spent a good deal of time in Michele Bachmann's tent and camped outside her bus waiting for results. This was also the first real test of my shiny new Mk IV, which dangles from one shoulder while an old Mk II hangs out on the other. The photo above, I regretted not switching my long glass to the Mk IV. Even though we're always shooting for galleries, I still kept in my mind just needing ONE good shot, just in case she wins..

Most of the candidates had 20 minutes to speak inside Hilton Coliseum, which gave me a good chance to get safe shots of everyone.

Being in the "wrong place" served me pretty well. There were press risers in Bachmann's tent, but I was looking for a different angle. I walked around the tent with photo pal Andrea Melendez of the Register, asking anyone with a volunteer shirt if they had any information that could help us. Somehow we ended up behind the stage, with a completely different view of Michele and Marcus dancing, as well as the other photo above, where we were in front of the stage before the rest of the media had caught up.

We knew there would be confetti... this was definitely a matter of laying on the shutter and hoping for a clear view of her face.

The sequence below is far more than I'd usually share, but I thought the timing was interesting. I had walked past Ron Paul's tent but there was no action, so I headed to Bachmann's bus and joined the pack of journalists waiting for results. The pack kept growing, especially after her victory was announced, until it was obvious that I couldn't change position even if I wanted. We got word that the audio inside Hilton was being torn down, so Bachmann would be speaking in front of her bus. More waiting while they set up a step stool and mic. The police officer in front was photographed by all of us, as we tried to work out exposures in the strong evening light.

6:13:54 - first sighting after waiting for... 30 minutes? The pack of photographers moved together, swaying one direction then the next, as we all tried to get a clear shot.

6:14:05 - reaction as she sees young fans standing right in front of me. The hands were perfect in both frames.

6:14:58 - brief statement to press and supporters, including her standard "one term President!" line.

6:26:13, after she worked her way around the line. As it was impossible to move in the crowd, I chose to wait it out for her departure rather than try to get more photos with supporters.

File by 7, pack up and go find food for the first time since 7 a.m. Yup, I kind of love caucus season.

Bakehouse

2011-08-15T21:37:00.002-05:00

Juan Guillen of Iowa City transfers proofed sourdough to the oven in the bakehouse at New Pioneer Co-Op in Coralville on Friday, June 24, 2011.

Potter-mania

2011-08-15T21:23:00.002-05:00

One last time...

Defeat

2011-08-15T21:21:00.001-05:00

Mount Vernon's Michaela Martin (11) reacts after the Mustangs lost to Solon in their substate game on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, in Solon.

Afternoons fly by...

2011-08-15T21:17:00.003-05:00

...when I'm climbing around a jungle gym.

Caroline Montz, 7, of Robins swings as Skyla Flatt, 11 (left) and Joyce Wiley, 11, both of Marion, scale the dome climber at Thomas Park on Monday, June 27, 2011, in Marion. With temperatures reaching the low 80s Monday, hot and sunny weather is expected to continue through the week.

Pre-glow

2011-08-15T21:16:00.002-05:00

Joan Nickol of Cedar Rapids moves the parachute top into position while preparing to inflate Tinker-Too at Balloon Glow on Tuesday, June 28, 2011, at Brucemore in Cedar Rapids.

belated freedom

2011-07-12T21:16:00.005-05:00

Some awesome pals (minus two, sigh) gathered for a little pre-Fourth festivities. There were sparklers involved, along with delicious food and drink and all-around good times. And then this happened, the end!

Bagge's berries

2011-06-28T11:07:00.006-05:00

My editor almost moved me to a different assignment a couple Fridays ago, but he should have known I would put up a fight for the chance to spend the morning at Bagge's Strawberries in Independence. Since this was for our Accent cover, I knew I could focus less on the people picking and more on details, which suited me just fine. Shoot one, eat one, shoot one, eat one... I'm not sure I can go back to eating supermarket strawberries after that. The season ends this weekend, so hurry up and enjoy them while you can!

slow going

2011-06-21T11:28:00.007-05:00

Almost three years to the day after the flood damaged the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, it finally began moving to its new foundation. I've checked in at the museum and Czech Village periodically over the past few months, then made my first attempt at a time-lapse video (ever) on the first day of the move. A week later the building was pivoted, and my second time-lapse was incorporated in that evening's story for KCRG. The building still needs to be lifted onto its new foundation, about 500 feet away from its original location and above the 2008 flood level. The guys at Patterson Moving have been great about getting us onto the site for photos inside the building as it moves, which is really just unreal. Below, early morning baking at Sykora back in April, when the museum was originally supposed to start moving. Pastries and structural moving in one story, what more could you ask for?

Beth Westlake of Iowa City, former Miss Czech Slovak Iowa (from left), Zoe Wolter, 17, of Cedar Rapids and Czech Prince Eijah Wolter, 14, of Cedar Rapids wait for the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library to start moving.
National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library CEO and President Gail Naughton cheers after breaking a bottle of champagne on the side of the museum before moving begins

The old floor of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library is left exposed two hours after the building began moving to its new location.
Lance Matyiko of Expert House Movers of Virginia Beach, Virginia, takes measurements while the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library is moved on Wednesday, June 8, 2011, in Cedar Rapids. Because of the museum's proximity to a curve in the river's edge, the building was moved at an angle.

The path of the pivot can be seen in the mud as steel plates are moved from the back to the front of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library on Saturday, June 18, 2011, in Cedar Rapids.
A worker waits to hook up a chain while pivoting National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library.

Workers move a tarp to make way for the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library.

Gardening vicariously

2011-06-07T19:33:00.007-05:00

I have a bit of a black thumb, aside from two houseplants I've successfully kept alive for a month or so now. So I'm in awe of the gardens I photographed last week.

12 in 4

2011-06-07T18:53:00.005-05:00

Yup. 12 games, four days. That's a whole lotta soccer. While I always shoot plenty of action, it tends to all look alike after so many games, so the real fun is the players' reactions. I should mention that, like last year, we spent the first day hiding under jackets as we tried to tone in bright sun, had slightly more shade the second day under a canopy brought by another photog, and finally took over the press box the third day. Posted in chronological order, purely for my convenience, given the number of photos I'm sharing..

Pro tip: buy some neutral or green shirts for photographing sports, so as to not anger the photo gods and keep your karma in check.

Above: a ref calls offsides after a goal by West. Below, he overturns the offsides call, allowing the point. I was shooting two games on adjacent fields, so I perched at the top of the stands and turned around when I heard cheering from either side.

Never underestimate the ability of a mess of red curls to elevate a photo from average.

Above: Regina star Johnny Rummelhart (what a good soccer name, huh?) barrels past the goalie on the way to his third goal of the game (below). Register photog Chris Gannon had such a good angle on this, from midfield.

The two guys kept going at each other. "Are you guys going to shake hands?" asked the ref as Xavier's Michael Tessmer (8) goes in for the hug.

Points scored in overtime always ellicit the best reactions.

One million cranes

2011-05-26T16:45:00.002-05:00

Willowwind School first grader Erika O'Connell-Weir (top) and other students make paper cranes as part of the Million Crane Project to send to Japan in support of tsunami victims on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, in Iowa City.

It's always a little disappointing when a designer doesn't see a photo the same way I did. Still, I was happy with what I came back with last month at one of the frequent 'cute kids doing cute stuff' shoots.

Power up

2011-05-26T16:38:00.005-05:00

Someone at Alliant Energy probably has my license plate in their "suspicious vehicles" file. That's bound to happen when you set up camp across the street for more than an hour one night, waiting for the right light.

In season

2011-05-25T18:55:00.001-05:00

Are you guys as excited as I am for market season? Ohhh buddy. (Photos at Farmer's Daughter's market/shop in Hiawatha)

Heaven will smell like the airport

2011-05-24T19:18:00.003-05:00

Just a few unpublished photos from a recent tour of the soon-to-be-upgraded areas of the Eastern Iowa Airport. After years of the hassle of flying in and out of St Louis and DFW, I've come to love flying out of CID (until it's time to dig the car out of the snow).

Baggage carriers park outside the terminal on Friday, May 20, 2011, in Cedar Rapids. After an $8.2 million project with an addition is complete, the garages pictured will be converted into suite space for the airlines and bags will be delivered to the TSA screening area by a bag belt that runs the length of the terminal check-in area.

Hawkeye Downs

2011-05-19T22:19:00.003-05:00

"Shoot what you want." Man, I love hearing that. "We don't really need any action photos."

"Okay, cool, I'll just shoot whatever I find interesting," I say, my shoulders already feeling lighter at the thought of not dragging the 400mm lens up a flight of stairs to the viewing area. Another photographer laughed, "Well, that's a loaded statement," knowing my version of "interesting."

homework helps

2011-05-19T22:11:00.003-05:00

I met so many new friends / fledgling photographers while photographing at Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center for a story about state budget cuts. Apparently I have a "dinosaur camera."

Children get off the bus at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, in Iowa City. State funding has been cut this year, so the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County hopes businesses and individuals will sponsor sponsorships to help send low-income children to summer camp.

Volunteer Caroline Wilson, a University of Iowa sophomore from Beaumont, Texas (left), helps Noura Ibrahim, 6, with subtraction during the after-school homework help tutoring program at the Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center.

Mozn Elfaki, 5, counts on her fingers while practicing subtraction during the after-school homework help tutoring program.

Ahmed Hamad, 8 (left), Mazen Nour, 8 (back) and Mohamed Ali, 9, play hangman with Colette Saindon (hand pictured), an Americorps Vista volunteer who coordinates the after-school homework help tutoring program.

Strength

2011-05-13T11:46:00.003-05:00

For a story on the limits of athletic training, I spent an afternoon at a gym in Iowa City.

Observation

2011-05-09T16:03:00.003-05:00

A group of Girl Scouts watch as the roof of the dome is opened while learning about the 24-inch Boller & Chivens telescope on Friday, March 25, 2011, at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center in Mount Vernon. The telescope was donated by the University of Iowa. The Cedar Amateur Astronomers host private events, including this Girl Scouts event, and regular public nights throughout the year.

Aubrey Pisarik, 9, of Iowa City, looks at a friend through a finder scope mounted on a Dobsonian telescope.

A 16-inch telescope, donated by the University of Iowa, is housed in a classic dome building at the Eastern Iowa Observatory.

A star map is projected on the wall at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center.

If only deadlines and publication dates would wait for the best photo possibility. It was a cloudy, cold night, and our pool 5d MkII wasn't available, so I made the most of it with my dinosaur 1d MkII. Yikes..

Outfield

2011-05-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

Every time I get a decent defensive shot away from a base, my trigger finger does a little wiggle-dance.

Second chances

2011-05-09T15:56:00.002-05:00

Public forum

2011-05-08T11:07:00.001-05:00

Panelists Pat Shey of the Cedar Rapids City Council (from left), Maura Pilcher, chair of the Historic Preservation Commission, and Mark Stoffer Hunter, Cedar Rapids historian, listen to questions during a forum on the proposed medical district Tuesday, March 29, 2011, at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art in Cedar Rapids. Not pictured is panelist Monica Vernon of the Cedar Rapids City Council.

Green thumb

2011-05-08T11:03:00.003-05:00

I've been slowly adding green to my house lately, with some very low-maintenance plants. Maybe my herbs will last through the summer this year.. The photos above are from a greenhouse in Marion, back in March.

Kids with cameras

2011-05-08T10:58:00.002-05:00

Catch up day! I'll try not to overwhelm you. From March, kids photographing small Iowa towns, with photographer Bob Campagna . Gotta love this girl's search for the best vantage point -- on a truck one minute, on the sidewalk the next.

...and more sports

2011-03-13T16:00:00.003-05:00

It was almost refreshing to cover hockey after the week of basketball. Three RoughRiders goals in the first period gave me plenty of opportunity to get good jube (middle), and a few missed goals (top). They drop the lights pretty quickly after a goal, so I'm always excited to get any kind of reaction after a goal.

Rally

2011-03-13T15:55:00.004-05:00

In the middle of the sports-filled week, I went to the state capitol to cover a pro-union rally and public hearing on a bill limiting the collective bargaining rights of public workers' unions.

Six days

2011-03-13T15:29:00.005-05:00

...of pretty much nothing but sports. After 11 games of the girls and boys state basketball tournaments, these stuck out to me. Quite a few of the teams in our coverage area lost, so quite a bit of time was spent with my camera trained on the bench, waiting for moments that showed defeat.

Above, the mascot from a school nowhere near our coverage area. Below, new sport reflectors on our lights made a HUGE difference this year. The boys played a tighter game under the basket than the girls, generally, so I parked next to the net with a wider lens.

eyes on Don

2011-02-26T19:17:00.005-06:00

Sometimes things just go in my favor. Donald Marshall was in the chair when I walked into Big J's Barbershop in Iowa City a couple weeks ago. Not only was Don quite a character, but John Day was giving him a pretty cool cut that Don was only too happy to show off. Below, a detail at Capri College for the same story on salon citations.

found frames

2011-02-26T19:09:00.003-06:00

On the way back from a beer run to Wisconsin a couple of weeks ago, I shot this then forgot it until downloading the card a week later.

Melt

2011-02-19T15:04:00.002-06:00

Friendship, Formally

2011-02-12T21:25:00.004-06:00

This weekend a group of extremely attractive people took over Gatherings and had a second shot at prom. I set up a photo booth to help capture the sheer classiness of the event. It was so much fun to edit photos today, after leaving the photo booth in the hands of the guests most of the night... so I pretty much uploaded everything to my my freshly-minted flickr.

Blizzard: Wednesday : air intake

2011-02-03T20:08:00.004-06:00

While filing sledding photos back on campus at the Carver Biomedical Research Building, a group of UI employees started bringing down garbage cans filled with snow. Intros, questions, and finally, a snow feature I've never seen before. Steve Denneny, an electrician at the University of Iowa, removes snow from an air supply intake in the Carver Biomedical Research Building on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, in Iowa City.

Blizzard: Wednesday : sledding

2011-02-03T19:44:00.006-06:00

On foot again, this time toward Lincoln Elementary, which was rumored to have a great sledding hill. We weren't disappointed, as a group of kids showed up right behind us, followed by a group of UI students with cookie sheets, a laundry basket and garbage bags.

Blizzard: Wednesday morning

2011-02-03T19:21:00.005-06:00

Since I stayed near downtown overnight, I (rather smartly) left my car in the office garage to avoid digging out in the morning. Striking out on foot and wandering only roughly in the direction of the office, I found this guy helping free a friend's car on a side street, in addition to the obvious-but-necessary (shoveling and snowblowing), which don't really need to be shared. The photo above was in a gallery on Denver Post's Captured blog, along with a few photos by fellow Mizzou'er and brand new photo editor at the Columbia Daily Tribune, Parker Eshelman.

Our Iowa City office has a balcony overlooking a usually-busy downtown intersection. Only an occasional car passed through.. and then a snowshoer (brought to my attention by Getty Images photog Chip Somodevilla, along for a day of feature-hunting adventures). Coffee, adjust layers, research sledding hills, and onto the afternoon session..

Blizzard: Tuesday

2011-02-03T19:14:00.003-06:00

You might have heard about a little storm that blew through the Midwest this week. I didn't make it far on Tuesday, venturing out onto the Iowa campus in search of 'impending doom' features, finding mostly people trying to keep out the cold. As snow stung my eyes and filled my viewfinder, I reminded myself that the real fun would start Wednesday. After venturing out for drinks (yep, I'm a real Midwesterner now), I grabbed my camera and shot this stranded car near my overnight hideout.

Alliant in fog

2011-02-03T19:06:00.001-06:00

Ventured onto the KCRG roof on a slow, foggy afternoon a few weeks ago.

Riddle Inc.

2011-02-03T18:59:00.004-06:00

Insulation, pipes and debris cover the floor of a room in the former Riddle Inc. facility in Monticello on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. The building was cleaned out by the Environmental Protection Agency in July to remove improperly stored hazardous waste. Gene Riddle, the former owner of Riddle Inc., has pled guilty to a felony charge for storing hazardous waste without a permit.

Hazardous waste was improperly stored at the former Riddle Inc. facility in Monticello and dumped into Kitty Creek.

Christmas in February

2011-02-03T18:57:00.003-06:00

Still catching up: Christmas, Santa, Children's Hospital and a fist bump. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon.

Christmas in January

2011-01-29T15:36:00.003-06:00

Sooo this has been hanging out in my 'to post' folder for awhile. Last month I intentionally got lost on snowy country roads looking for something (anything) for our paper's Christmas card. I never did see what they chose, but I liked these two frames. A red and green barn, jackpot!

caffeinate me

2011-01-29T11:01:00.003-06:00

Since I'm sitting here with a huge mug of steaming-hot coffee, I thought it was a good time to share some photos from a recent story by Angie Holmes on her own coffee ignorance. Despite my own high levels of caffeination and several barista friends, I still learned a lot watching Java House espresso trainer Nicole Millard prepare a few cappuccinos for the photo shoot.

this is hockey

2011-01-19T21:46:00.003-06:00

Just a few snaps before the game got started... and one frame thanks to my modern vintage gear.

hair art

2010-12-13T11:02:00.003-06:00

This weekend I teamed up with hair artist extraordinaire Kelsey Smart to shoot a portfolio of her amazing creations. We (yep, I modeled too) are such an amazingly colorful bunch thanks to Kelsey's work. One quick favorite before I get to editing the more straightforward headshots...

zins

2010-12-11T11:00:00.002-06:00

...one of my favorite restaurants in town. I was there just days after this shoot for a delicious brunch with friends, and 2 1/2 years ago after the flood.

111-50

2010-12-01T21:52:00.001-06:00

An Iowa fan waves a photo cut-out of head coach Fran McCaffery as SIU-Edwardsville player takes a freethrow in the first period of the Hawkeyes'm 111-50 win Friday, Nov. 26, 2010, at Carver Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

Vigil for Jose

2010-12-01T21:32:00.003-06:00

(Above) Jose Mendoza's sister Roxanne, 14 (top left), brother Alberto, 9, mother Ada and her boyfriend Ricardo Juarez hold vigil Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, at the site of accident that killed Mendoza early Monday along Cottage Grove Avenue SE. The driver of the car has been charged with vehicular homicide.

Situations like this are so hard to cover without feeling somewhat like a vulture (or at least worrying that's what people are thinking). I just do what I can do be respectful, shoot sparingly, avoid the bright lights of the TV cameras, listen as people share their memories -- with friends, with strangers, with me -- and hope my photos do justice to those gathered and those they're remembering.

Ohio State 20, Iowa 17

2010-11-21T21:09:00.002-06:00

Yeah, I knew he was going to stop.

Celebration surrounded by a lot of heartbreak.
Just out of reach..

media day

2010-11-20T08:37:00.002-06:00

afternoon light

2010-11-18T23:02:00.001-06:00

Medal of Honor

2010-11-18T20:51:00.000-06:00

I was in Washington, D.C., this week to cover the Medal of Honor ceremony for Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta, a native Iowan and the first living recipient of the medal since Vietnam. I briefly caught up with Biden photog David Lieneman, who answered allll my questions about working in the White House. Photojournalists go into situations blind every day, but this was obviously different, so I was glad for answers from David and help from Getty photog Chip Somodevilla (who knew me way back in the day when I was a high school intern in Ft Worth) in acquiring a stepladder. I had already heard Giunta's story several times, but hearing it from the President was pretty powerful.. plus trying to get a variety of images from my perch atop a stepladder squeezed between two TV guys, silently willing people in the audience to put their cameras down so I could see over them, then filing as fast as I could, knowing I wasn't going to beat the wire guys anyway. So. These are just a few images I liked. You can see the Gazette's full coverage here.

President Barack Obama awards Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta the Medal of Honor in the East Room at the White House on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

President Barack Obama recognizes members of Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta's unit from Afghanistan before awarding Giunta the Medal of Honor.

First Lady Michelle Obama looks back to the parents of Sergeant Joshua Brennan and Spec. Hugo Mendoza, two members of Staff Sgt. Salvatore Giunta's squad who were killed in action.

White House behind the scenes

2010-11-18T20:32:00.002-06:00

Erik (KCRG) and Orlan (Gazette) in the WH briefing room, waiting.

East Room before the ceremony.

Erik, pre-ceremony

That's a whole lotta media.
Giunta made a statement at the West Lawn stakeout spot.

vs Northwestern

2010-11-17T23:40:00.000-06:00

Iowa had a disappointing loss to Northwestern last weekend. I was pretty weak in the first half (I blame the rain) but in the second half things were looking up (for me, not for the team). One more home game to go, and my season's done. It'll be a chilly one.. (good thing I just bought the best. mittens. ever. The kind of mittens a cold-fingered photographer like myself dreams about.)

vs Michigan

2010-11-17T23:25:00.000-06:00

Iowa players enter the field for their game against Michigan State on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

I took a 400mm lens and a rented 600mm lens to the upper deck of the north endzone at Kinnick for Iowa's game against Michigan a few weeks ago. It was so much easier to follow passing plays from up there (something I've always struggled with), and the images so much cleaner. The only obstructions were the occasional excited fan, and the wires for the field goal net. Beautiful.

Iowa running back Marcus Coker (34, left) eyes Michigan State's Trenton Robinson (39) as he runs up the field in the third quarter.

Iowa's Tyler Sash (9, right) laterals the ball to Micah Hyde (18) over Michigan State's B.J. Cunningham (3) after an interception in the first quarter. Hyde took the ball for a touchdown.

Iowa offensive lineman Markus Zusevics (56, right) reacts after Adam Robinson carried the ball for a first down against Michigan State in the third quarter.

Michigan State's Marcus Hyde (11, left) tackles Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi (12) after Stanzi had run out of bounds in the first quarter. A penalty of unnecessary roughness was called on Hyde.

Iowa players make their way through fans on the field after the Hawkeyes' 37-6 win over Michigan State.

this is football, pt 2

2010-11-17T23:20:00.000-06:00

Iowa vs Northwestern, Ryan Field

Iowa vs Michigan, Kinnick Stadium

wherehouse

2010-11-10T09:21:00.005-06:00

Myohmy, where did I disappear to? Lots to share from the past few weeks, so let's get started with something fun... I had heard about the Wherehouse here and there, but had no idea where it was, or even really what it was, until our reporting intern started working on a story and I jumped on board. The simplest way to describe it is "community arts space." Check out Justine's story, and more photos, here. Big thanks to Nelle Dunlap, the IC Kings and Blizzard at Sea.

Patience and golf carts

2010-10-22T18:59:00.004-05:00

I always love shooting at golf courses, for one reason: I get to drive a golf cart. This week, my assignment was almost absurdly flexible. "Shoot a photo at a city golf course to illustrate a season wrap-up story." The folks at Ellis Golf Course pointed out where I was most likely to find golfers, handed me a key and I was off. I drove backwards on the course past several holes, shooting some along the way but not seeing anything as striking as the light and landscape back at the 18th hole. So I found a good vantage point and waited. It couldn't have been a lovelier day to wait for a golfer to stop in just the right place.

tractoring

2010-10-22T18:49:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I rode on a tractor. Decades, probably. And even that was a rusty old Massey Ferguson, probably perched on my granda's knee. So imagine my surprise when I climbed into the cab of this monster, and it was air conditioned, had a radio, a computer to spread exactly the right amount of fertilizer on each bit of land and pretty much drove itself. Read Orlan Love's story over here.

bboys

2010-10-20T11:48:00.003-05:00

"So, would you rather cover Boy Scouts sorting canned food or break dancing Saturday?"
Um, huh?

The photo above was pretty much a wonderful accident. I was playing with slow shutter speeds (below), hoping one of the kids' camera flashes would sync up with me at some point, but after a couple rounds I switched back to a faster speed to at least have a 'safe' shot in the bag. (Of course, the safe shots were fine too, but...). And then, magically, someone's flash synced up with my shot. Joy! Celebration! And then running around looking for the kid for 20 minutes, because he somehow disappeared into thin air after his round.

this is football

2010-10-16T09:41:00.003-05:00

..or at least what you get when you combine a darkdarkdark stadium with an oldoldold camera. Fortunately, I did get a few decent photos of the game, but I just had to laugh and shake my head when I saw this frame.

Hobo lunch

2010-10-15T19:19:00.002-05:00

Students at a school wrapped up a unit on the Great Depression with a hobo-style lunch of meat and veggies.

It’s disgusting,” said one student. What if it was the only food available? For several days? “Then I’d eat it all."

market

2010-10-15T10:23:00.003-05:00

I was at the Iowa City farmers market an hour earlier than the subject I was meeting last week, so I wandered around look for slivers of sweet afternoon light amidst the ugly orange parking ramp lights.

smoked

2010-10-10T22:03:00.003-05:00

Just a few frames from a photo shoot for my brother this weekend, as part of my continuing curation of his apartment walls. This shoot has been in the works for months, we just had to be in the same place at the same time!

mad man

2010-09-22T22:08:00.004-05:00

I love pretty much everything about Brian Anderson's retro 50s/60s house. I'm a little obsessed thrifting+antiquing, so my own decor is a hodgepodge of, well, anything from the past century that amuses me or catches my eye. He's much more focused -- and the results are pretty incredible.

There's a flea market in What Cheer next weekend. Hmmm.. dangerous.

kickoff

2010-09-21T16:03:00.005-05:00

I was in Arizona this weekend for my first Iowa football game of the season. It was a little stressful having a road game be my first game, but I didn't forget anything important (like a monopod or credential). A post of my off-work AZ photos will come later. For now, here's the game.. see more here.

Below, three photos from one Arizona fumble. My focus slipped as Arizona receiver William Wright (right) fumbled the ball after a tackle by Iowa defensive back Shaun Prater in the fourth quarter -- the faces of the coaches and players told the story.
I have a frame of Prater's hand grasping the ball (in the slideshow), but the faces here are great.

I knew there would be reaction one way or the other from the Iowa bench once the play was reviewed (and I had already seen my photo with the ball in Prater's hand), so I just had to wait for...

Of course, Iowa lost, so jube photos aren't relevant. Cliff Jette really captured the mood of the fans in this photo, though.

Palms

2010-09-18T20:12:00.003-05:00

Oh, hey, I'm in Arizona! Kickoff of the Iowa game is in an hour. Just something I saw on the long, hot walk to the stadium. I'll have more to share later (actual game photos and a bunch of iPhone desert adventures).

Suite life

2010-09-13T14:39:00.004-05:00

I covered fans in the suites and on the streets during this weekend's Iowa/ Iowa State game. It was pretty nice up in the boxes, but, I have to admit, I'd rather be on the field.

Hunt

2010-09-10T13:29:00.003-05:00

For a story on the upcoming deer season, I headed to Mt Trashmore* yesterday in search of deer on public/non-hunted land. Nothing like an early-morning hike to start a day right. The air was surprisingly fresh up there.

*non-Cedar Rapidians: Trashmore is formally known as the Linn Co Solid Waste Agency Site #1, a landfill near Czech Village that was reopened after the flood.

flutterby

2010-09-10T10:57:00.002-05:00

Iowa manufacturing

2010-09-06T12:19:00.004-05:00

I photographed two different factories last week for a story on the loss of manufacturing jobs in Iowa -- one empty, one active. It seems I've been on the empty buildings beat lately (more on that soon). No complaints here, though -- you know I love this stuff. Just give me 10 minutes inside, leave most the lights off, and set me loose with the sees-in-the-dark 5D MkII..

Stand up

2010-09-06T12:14:00.003-05:00

"It's better than sitting on the floor," says Kobe.

Back to the game

2010-08-30T22:42:00.004-05:00

Football season officially started last weekend! It's pretty clear that Washington's Alex Carr will be the star of the season. Boy can RUN.

...but was hit with cramps after a couple of his touchdown runs.

One more high school game this weekend and I'll have shaken off the early season rust, just in time for the start of Iowa football. I love fall!

Warehouse on Third

2010-08-29T14:38:00.004-05:00

The Warehouse on Third has good karma. How perfect for me, then, that one of the tenants is a yoga studio.

MMA

2010-08-28T12:14:00.004-05:00

Last weekend's MMA fight was better than the first one I shot, last year.. better light, and I knew what to expect. I only had time for three fights before deadline, which was unfortunate, since all three fights ended in the first or second round.

One last splash

2010-08-27T12:26:00.003-05:00

It seems I've been on the pool beat this summer. Not that I'm complaining. One last day at the pool before kids went back to school and the pool closed for the season, and cuteness abounds.

Doggie paddle

2010-08-26T11:47:00.004-05:00

Every year, after the pool is closed to humans, dogs take over Bever Pool. Since I can't have a dog (yet), I get in all the puppy playtime I can on assignments like this! Wilson, a big Golden puppy, was my favorite.

Up with the sun

2010-08-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

ragbrai

2010-08-25T12:50:00.003-05:00

After spending a day following RAGBRAI from Quasqueton to Manchester, I'm more familiar with the gravel side roads of Delaware county than I ever expected to be. (Cars aren't allowed on the ride route.)

The day started out a little rainy but by the time I got to Manchester it was bright and sunny and I found myself wishing I was along for the ride, too.

I've been carrying my Nikon F100 lately, loaded with expired slide film. You might see those photos in a month or so when I finish the roll. It's a nice change of pace.

Detour

2010-08-10T20:58:00.008-05:00

On the way back from working on a story in Grand Rapids, Mich. last week (details to come), the reporter and I stopped at the first exit we thought might have a Michigan Lake beach. Success! Sandy toes made the rest of the seven-hour drive a little uncomfortable, but it was worth it.

Remembering Maryrosa

2010-07-27T21:29:00.003-05:00

This post is long overdue -- these photos have sat in my 'photos to blog' folder for months now. Tonight's mass posting is a good chance to share them.

Maryrosa Russell-Green moved to Iowa City from Chicago to join her sister, partly to escape the violence there. She had returned to Chicago to visit her daughter, grandson and boyfriend, Charles King, when she and King were shot and killed on the South Side. The Chicago Tribune had a story that prepared me for the situation.
Tanesha Por of Chicago shares memories of her mother, Maryrosa Russell-Green, while taking a break from packing up her mother's belongings at her aunt's Iowa City home on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010.
Carla Davis looks through a photo album that belonged to her sister, Maryrosa Russell-Green, in Russell-Green's bedroom at Davis' Iowa City home on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010.

I arrived at the house to find the TV reporter interviewing one of Maryrosa's sisters, and, later, daughter. I took a few photos, but hoped for something more.. real. When Carla ducked behind the cameras to go into her sister's room in search of photos to share with us, I followed. We spent a few minutes in Maryrosa's room, looking at photos as Carla shared memories of her sister.

I sometimes wonder if my empathy gets in the way of pursuing certain photos. Could I have pushed to stay and photograph while they packed up Maryrosa's room? I could have -- but would I have wanted a photographer in my face during a time like that? (No.) There's also a certain awkwardness to piggybacking on a TV interview. They set the time aside for us to interview them, not to observe them, so to ask to photograph them packing could invite an awkward, staged situation.

At the races

2010-07-27T21:26:00.002-05:00

I loved the pairing of the kids' boxcar races pitstop (change shoes and socks) with the real pit.

Faking it

2010-07-27T21:20:00.004-05:00

A few cast members came to the studio for a preview of this year's Follies. Faking a full backdrop is harder than you think, since white isn't really just white. For the dice in another photo, we improvised with sugar cubes and a black marker. For cash, we raided everyone's wallets. They worked out pretty well for last-minute ideas!

Giveaway

2010-07-27T21:18:00.002-05:00

So much stuff...

Bailey's Lincoln Cafe

2010-07-27T21:09:00.005-05:00

I photographed Lincoln Cafe in Belle Plaine when I was in town on a different story last month. This month, I was sent back for a story on the new ownership and re-opening of the cafe. Apparently I was thinking very vertically that day..

Mooses/Meese

2010-07-27T20:56:00.003-05:00

It was pretty quiet at the Cedar Rapids Moose Lodge when I was there a few weeks ago for an assignment on their 100th anniversary.

light of day

2010-07-27T20:52:00.002-05:00

This portrait of Cynthia Vaske, Employee Assistance Program Manager at St. Luke's, never ran with the story, but I was pretty happy with it, for an office portrait. As soon as I saw the wall and sun/moon, I knew I could do something with it.

hey batter

2010-07-27T20:47:00.003-05:00

I'm headed to Des Moines later this week for some state baseball action. A few frames from recent games...
Fans duck as Jefferson's Ben Rettenmeier (34) pursues a foul ball that landed outside of the fence in the fifth inning of their substate game against Marshalltown at Jefferson on Monday, July 19, 2010, at Jefferson in Cedar Rapids.

Kernels manager Bill Mosiello picks up his son, Helton, 3, for a kiss before the game against Fort Wayne Tincaps on Thursday, July 15, 2010, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids.

Getting lost

2010-07-27T20:44:00.002-05:00

It's nice to take the back road home sometimes. Soy beans waving in the wind caught my eye.

heat wave

2010-07-27T20:40:00.004-05:00

I was sent to North Liberty a couple weeks ago when the power went out at the hottest part of the hottest day of the year. It was harder than you might think to find people outside -- I guess everyone was keeping their doors closed and waiting it out at home. So, when I found these kids keeping cool in their pool I made the most of it. (My job really is more than just photographing kids in pools, I swear.)

After the parade

2010-07-15T17:40:00.004-05:00

Believe it or not, this photo was taken as part of spot news coverage, for this story from the July 4 parade horse escape in Bellevue. I arrived about three hours after the fact, so I shot what I could. This was about the point in the route where the horses ran onto the sidewalk.

Cool down

2010-07-13T17:15:00.002-05:00

Any day I can wear shorts and sandals to work is okay by me. I've had two days at the pool so far this summer..

Blue pool water makes the reflected light sorta funky.

Worker cottages

2010-07-13T17:07:00.004-05:00

You know how I love my dilapidated buildings.. and with a news peg!

St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church is reflected in the window of a flood-damaged cottage across the street on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Cedar Rapids. The city is set to demolish the cottages, citing them as a threat to public safety, but Preservation Iowa is seeking an emergency grant to move and rehabilitate them. The cottages were built to house immigrant workers at the Sinclair meatpacking plant and other factories.

Skating at the Tree

2010-07-13T17:01:00.003-05:00

I spent the afternoon with a group of skaters for a story back in June? May? Something like that. The story, at the time I shot it, was about the location -- skating where they're not supposed to -- so I tried to incorporate the surroundings as much as I could. We were there at just the right time of day for the Tree of Five Seasons to cast its distinctive shadow on the plaza.

State track

2010-07-13T16:52:00.002-05:00

...just like soccer, was also a blur. A slideshow of every image I submitted exists somewhere, but I can't find it, and you don't want to see that anyway, do you?

PC'er Matt Holst attempted to foil this celebration photo. Karma got him in the end, and I got my shot.

Saying goodbye

2010-07-13T16:48:00.001-05:00

Carol Robert (left) stands with her daughter, Stephanie Walker, as they look over the lot where their house stood before the flood, on Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Robert had hoped to have a chance to say goodbye to their home of 29 years, 1527 4th Street NW, but never received a call telling her the demolition was scheduled.

When the action has already happened, you do what you can to make an image that tells the story...